Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 975 · 40 questions

Writing tip (Main idea first): Read the detail sentences and ask: what are they ALL about? The topic sentence names that main idea in one sentence. A sentence about a different topic cannot open the paragraph, however nice it sounds.

1. 1.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
2. 2.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   Our classroom is bright and clean. It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) saving water (b) the peacock (c) the vegetable market (d) our classroom
3. 3.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   In January, the sky fills with kites. Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. We buy strong string for our kites. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) our school sports day (b) the old banyan tree (c) the village fair (d) flying kites
4. 4.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
5. 5.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   Our class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) a busy railway station (b) making a rangoli (c) a visit to an old fort (d) the school library
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
7. 7.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   The monsoon is my favourite season. Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) my best friend (b) saving water (c) the rainy season (d) my grandfather
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ The waves splashed over our feet. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
9. 9.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   A fair comes to our village every winter. There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) our school sports day (b) the vegetable market (c) our pet cat (d) the village fair
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
11. 11.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandmother has a lovely garden. Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) my new bicycle
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
13. 13.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
14. 14.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our school library is my favourite place. It has tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) flying kites (b) the school library (c) our postman (d) our trip to the zoo
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
16. 16.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. Butterflies visit the marigold flowers. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. (a) The night sky is full of wonders. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) Our school sports day was full of fun. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
18. 18.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We must not waste water. Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) eating healthy food (b) a visit to an old fort (c) our school sports day (d) saving water
19. 19.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My best friend is Farhan. Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) the night sky (b) the school library (c) grandma's garden (d) my best friend
20. 20.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its branches spread very wide. Long roots hang down from its branches. Birds build nests in its branches. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) We spent a happy day at the beach.
21. 21.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The night sky is full of wonders. Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) the vegetable market (b) a day at the beach (c) my grandfather (d) the night sky
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (b) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
23. 23.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) the village fair (b) my grandfather (c) our pet cat (d) our school sports day
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
25. 25.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) elephants (b) the peacock (c) flying kites (d) eating healthy food
26. 26.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Ramesh is the postman in our area. He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. The postman knows every house on our street. We always thank the postman with a smile. (a) my new bicycle (b) our school sports day (c) the school library (d) our postman
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) In January, the sky fills with kites.
28. 28.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The peacock is the national bird of India. It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. A peacock dances with its feathers spread. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) the school library (b) the peacock (c) our pet cat (d) our trip to the zoo
29. 29.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. (a) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (b) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
30. 30.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. We saw a tiger resting on a big rock. The monkeys jumped from branch to branch. A giraffe ate leaves from a tall tree. We watched the zookeeper feed the bears. (a) the vegetable market (b) our classroom (c) our postman (d) our trip to the zoo
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) The monsoon is my favourite season. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. (a) The railway station is always busy. (b) The peacock is the national bird of India. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) My best friend is Farhan.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school library is my favourite place. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) Ants are tiny but very hard-working. (d) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli.
37. 37.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. We place small lamps around the design. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) our pet cat (b) making a rangoli (c) flying kites (d) my new bicycle
38. 38.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandfather is seventy years old. My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) making a rangoli (b) grandma's garden (c) my grandfather (d) the school library
39. 39.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Sellers pile fresh vegetables on their carts. Shoppers pick the best onions and potatoes. People bargain loudly over prices. (a) Last Sunday, our class went to the zoo. (b) My grandfather is seventy years old. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) The vegetable market near our house opens early.
40. 40.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The railway station is always busy. Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) a busy railway station (b) the vegetable market (c) a cricket match (d) our school sports day

Free writing skills lessons, practice and worksheets at talentjr.in/english-writing-skills